Oh Gawd, It's Another Stormy!!!

McGee came flying down the stairs and jumped on the sofa, looking out the window, then leapt down to the window by the back door and looked out intently...so I wondered if the bear was back, and went for a look...nope, no bear, but is that Stormy outside? I opened the door to shoo him back inside, as it was the SPITTING image of Stormy, right down to that sinister face of his...but then I swivelled my head back into the cabin (no, not exorcist style) and saw that Stormy was snuggled into his bed on the end table, under the window...clearly oblivious to the whole scene...

Pimped My Ride

How's this work for ya...don't matter...I LOVE IT!

How Much Do I HATE Automated Phone Systems

I want to let out a primal scream each and every time I get one. It seems everyone has one, and the menus are long, annoying and tedious. They don't always give you the right options for what you want to do, and often you're left going through 15 different ones only to find out that the person you want to speak to isn't available, please try your call again later. Ok, fuck off then.

Then when you FINALLY get through the series of menus, the voice tells you something so stupid I don't believe it anymore..."we are experiencing a higher than normal volume of calls, please hold the line". What they really mean is that they are TOO CHEAP to hire enough people to answer the phone.

Then you get to speak to someone who asks you a barrage of personal questions, stating they have to ask due to privacy laws...WHATEVER! And my personal favorite is when I ended up on the line with someone who recently immigrated to Canada and have an accent so thick from wherever they hail (usually India, Pakistan, or China) that I have no idea what in the hell they are talking about.

Or how about if you make a mistake in the menus and you just want to speak to someone and can't get to the right menu to do it, so have to hang up and start all over again.

And then there are those newer voice command systems that I FUCKING HATE because they don't give you the options you need, they don't understand plain English, and keep telling you "I'm sorry I did not recognize your answer, please try again" or my personal favorite "I'm sorry you're having difficulty, please try again".

I just want to pick up the phone and speak to someone without all the hassle. They think they are providing better customer service, but they ARE NOT. What they are doing is making me hate call centres all that much more. I end up being the rude bitch they go home and tell their families about when asked how their day went.

I hate automated phone systems...

These Are The Days Of Our Lives

aka As The Stomach Turns...whatever. In any event, lest y'all think A. and I are fighting constantly, we're not. She even apologized for her behaviour on Sunday, as I knew she would. We may disagree with one another, but never hold any real grudges and usually get over things quite quickly. That's my gal!

bad news delivered yesterday. My sis' FIL was out fishing yesterday and suffered what they think was a massive heart attack and died immediately after. Such a sudden shock and I feel for the family as he was a very much loved man, who made an impact on the lives of others. I have a sign at the end of my driveway that he painted, as well as one at my door. Along with talented sign painter, G. was also an avid fisherman, and died while pursuing his passion, fly fishing. As much as a shock it was to hear about, we are all taking comfort in that he died as he wished for...fast, painless and while fishing. I can only hope for the same end (though not anytime soon).

I mailed off the first of my VHS movies today that I sold on eBay. Since buying a DVD recorder and tackling the task of backing up my collection, I have been trying to unload them. Some will go in a yard sale, while others I am hoping to sell as lots on eBay. I can sure use the space left behind by my emptying shelves...all of my DVD movies will fit into a binder.

Mr Bear has not returned, so I am hoping that he moved on, after realizing there isn't much to nibble on here anymore. I have thrice heard that hooves in the driveway though and didn't catch what it was again last night.

I am still loving my new car, and need some replacement bumper stickers...though I do have three on there now - I survived the Top Of The World Highway, Chicken Alaska; I survived the ferry at Dawson City; and Fat People Are Harder To Kidnap...got to give those tailgaters something to read...not to mention the scroungers in the parking lots, looking for spare change and offering to take back your cart for the dollar coin you deposited for it...

Road Trips

Well, that was probably the last road trip with A. for a while. For some reason, I'm a bitch if I happen to say something about A. driving 130kms/hr over what has to be the worst highway in the world, skimming the edge of the cratered potholes, and slaloming through the loose gravel they warn you about, and caution you to slow down through. Forgive me if I want my brand new car to see more than a week of life with me. This child does not appear to have any common sense about what a car can and should be put through. When I did say something about her driving, she belittled me, telling me that I was being ridiculous and that my car should be able to handle it...forgive me dear, innocent child if I have had to pay out small fortunes in the past to repair rims, shocks, springs, whatever because some asshole did not treat his car kindly before selling it to me. Now that I have my first brand new car purchase, I just want to be a little more cautious about my car.

And let's not forget the reality of a breakdown on the highway that really is in the middle of nowhere...I didn't fancy wanting to sit around for 2 days for someone to send help in the dry, hot, mountain dirt. Or the fact that I just don't want someone breaking my damn car!!!

Anyhow, if her driving is any indication of how she will treat cars in the future...her new little car has much to endure. I predict it will not make it to the winter without a major injury...

New Car Smell

thought I liked it. I don't. I need a stick-up air freshener to take the smell out.

I do however love driving it! The sunroof is awesome, and I am not finished playing with the power doors and windows...I have however, finally moved in. Now for decor...bumper stickers? Only if my dearest friends in Cape Breton will get me another copy of Tickle My Shillelagh...and there are a couple from Little Mysteries in Halifax that I want again, but I think I can order online.

Now to face Monday...

Turning Silver Into Indigo

New wheels today...my first new car of my very own. My Echo was a lease, so not really mine, but this here baby, is 60 payments away from being mine...my very first car was a 1976 Mercury Comet, two tone with a vinyl roof. My second car was a 1987 Toyota Camry. With this one, I hope to own it from beginning to end, and hope for a long journey inbetween.

Fish Tank Adventures

The toxic waste dump known as my fishtank finally got a thorough cleaning last night. Turns out I haven't been adding a certain chemical weekly, so the algae got a little out of control. I also had a snail problem. I bought a plant for it a little while back, and it must have had some on it, though I didn't see any. Within a couple of months there were dozens of snails in my tank...icky poop machines.

So there was reason to empty the tank and give it a good cleaning. Once I finally captured all the fish without killing any of them (phew) I put the container on the floor...McGee didn't notice at first but once he did, he was determined to check them out. So I finally had to flick him on the head with a wet hand (I think he thought they jumped out at him!) and he laid down beside it simply to watch. He pawed at it a little with them swimming around so fast in there, but behaved for the most part.

What a damn mess I had though...water everywhere...and then when I went to put the filter back on the side of the tank, I filled it with water to get it going again, but forgot to put the fan back on the bottom, and the water poured out through there, down the back of my stand onto all of my plugins...ZZZZZZZZZZZAAP......or so I thought. Quickly cleaned that up and we were back in business...now the tanks sparkles once again and the fish look happy. Phew. The first time for a major clean without casualties...

Tweak and Tweeter

Well, I doubt that these new speakers have anything recognizable as a tweeter, however...the bearded dragon (very young still) is Tweak (on my shoulder - he is not mine, but belongs to a friend).

Flextime on a Friday

Well, I am rather new to this flextime that is so popular here. I happen to be accumulating some overtime hours because of A.'s schedule and having to take her to work for 8am, so I am there 30 minutes early on those days....and today I took the afternoon off. What a treat...to be home early on a Friday afternoon in the summer. I did my weekend shopping in the psycho-busy stores, and then came the hell home. I was to go to the Atlin Music Festival, but the forecast is for rain, rain, and more rain, so bah, I'd rather stay home and chill. So here I sit. Chilling. Trying to become insipired for more writing. The only sounds in my world as I write this are the ticking of my wall clock, the gurgling of the aquarium and someone out in the sky in a small plane. I am not far from the regional airport, so hear the little planes from time to time. There are also birds, wasps, and cats grooming themselves in various parts of the cabin. I don't like to post too often without a photo or two...so here are some more of the resident felines...

Girl In The City

Decided to hang out in the city tonight after work, and wait for A. to get off work at 10pm, which meant I have 5 hours to kill. So I went brought A. her new glasses at work, did some shopping, visited a sick friend, bringing her hot apple cider (as requested), and now am at the office, writing and listening to the radio on the net - Rock 101. They play pretty good music at night, all my favorites! At one point when I was on msn with a friend, and Pink Floyd was on, I tuned the office out entirely and was shocked to find myself here when I shifted position, lol.

For those who know me, I was able to pick up some cobalt blue glass spice bottles at a store here, for my loose spices...I shall have them all in the window...photos to follow, ha ha.

I also bought a seat cushion for my rocking chair...and which I have never done since my parents gave it to me 18 years ago...it is sage green microsuede. I also bought a heavy table runner in green and brown tones, something to protect my coffee table from my careless roomie...love you to bits gal, but man, you are hard on my stuff sometimes...

I still have to pick up a few things at the supermarket, but will do that when I pick up my roomie there in a bit. The sun is still up in the sky, although I noticed that sunset is moving back to about 11:25pm now, and getting earlier faster now than last week. Before you know it we will have dark nights again, and I can see the stars once more.

Listen to the music

ignore the instructions on the pic I'm heading off to my first outdoor music festival in the Yukon. I didn't get to the Alsek one, maybe next year. This weekend I'm off to the Atlin Arts and Music Festival in Atlin, BC. There is a huge lake near the festival grounds where people often camp...I am looking for a place to hang my hammock...I don't do tents if at all possible...I'd rather stay up or sleep in my car. I've tried air mattresses but this aging body of mine doesn't like that anymore. The hammock has been the perfect fit for me, sleep like a baby in it. I just have to have two places to hang it from...and last summer I ended up with neither at a couple of musical weekends. I don't think that will be the problem here as it sounds like trees are not far, and the campsites are treed. We shall see. I have done it with just one tree a number of times, tying it to someone's vehicle on one end, lol (camper, truck, blazer...whatever! Thanks guys!)

I have been trying to access their site today and can't get in so it must be down. I wanted to check out the lineup and see what they had to say about the festival grounds. For now I shall have to rely on word of mouth as many I know have enjoyed festivals past.

I sure hope the weather is good, but I can handle a little rain and fog about now...the lake is ok to swim in, but apparently brrrrrrrrrrrrr....I will check it out just the same. I've never gone swimming in BC before...

Now as long as my roomie doesn't have a huge party while I'm gone... ;-)

Am I A Material Girl

Lemme set out the events first and then see what you think. Last year I bought a new sofa, and new tables for the living room (coffee, end). They weren't cheap either, with the sofa(actually just a large loveseat) costing me $799 on sale, and the tables were $399 for the set. More money that I've spent in years on furniture. I didn't have the money before, and usually bought crap. The first edition of crap is sitting in my living room in Newfoundland. I spent $500 on the sofa and chair, and $80 on the tables. They wore well, but look like the crap that they are. The cats came to LOVE them and I ended up cutting patches out of the back of the sofa to cover the cat LOVE. Then I moved to Ontario where I bought more crap - sofa, loveseat, tables, and lamps came to less than $1000. My friend A. has the sofa and love seat, and possibly the end tables, and the coffee table was toasted somewhere in Ontario, broke the first year. The loveseat broke the second year by my lovely daughter and her 6 friends that piled onto it, jiggling and squirming as teenagers do.

So when I made the decision to move north, I thought it was time for some new furniture, and I bought a plush sofa and nice chunky solid wooden tables and away I went. Well the movers managed to break the drawer in the coffee table, but nothing that a bottle of elmer's wood glue couldn't fix.

Then my daughter came to live with me. She has been trying to singlehandedly destroy both the tables and the sofa. Never on purpose of course...and yesterday she had another go at it. She was painting her toenails and brought out the nail polish and remover. As soon as I saw it, I told her that in no uncertain terms did I want her putting the nail polish remover on my coffee table. This is the child the spoiled every surface in her room with nail polish, remover, and candle wax - dresser, nightstand, desk, bookcase. She scoffed at me, but complied and put the bottle on the floor, lid off (!!!). For some unknown reason, the bottle migrated to the table eventually, probably when she next picked it up to get more remover. In any event, there it was on my coffee table, with the lid off!!!!!!!!!. I didn't quite notice it at first, and was rooting around on the table for something and the lid of my wooden box hit the bottle, tipping it over.

It stripped the finish off my new table in a huge patch. It spilled most of the bottle, and a pile of it went under the runner on the table, soaking everything under it. And this child has the nerve to say it is MY FAULT because I knocked it over. If it wasn't supposed to be on the table, how could it be my fault to begin with...

Then this charming child, in helping me clean it up, whips this chemical infested dripping table runner off as told, but then chooses to fling it where? On my new sofa. I was not amused.

And when I blew up at this child of mine who wants me to treat her as a grownup now that she's 20, she was pretty indifferent, and said it was just a table, why was I upset. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Yes, we're having fun at Camp Yukon.

Celebrating Canada Day

So what does it mean to you to be Canadian? Freedom? Health Care? More land that we know what to do with? Easy access to Canadian beer?

I am happy to be alive and well in Canada, this sunny day in the Yukon Territory. The air is warm, the sun shines most of the day and night, and I don't have to go to work until Tuesday. Now I am going to swing in my hammock under the sun, and snooze away the afternoon.

I love Canada!